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Masonry Heaters
Masonry heaters are also known as
"Russian," "Siberian," and "Finnish" fireplaces.
They are well known for style, efficiency, clean combustion, safety, and the
ability to store heat and release it slowly. They are common in Europe, and are
gaining popularity in the United States.
A wide variety of masonry heater designs
and styles are available. Larger models resemble conventional fireplaces and may
cover an entire wall. Smaller models take up about as much space as a wood or
pellet stove. They can be custom-built or purchased as prefabricated units. All
designs have three basic components: a firebox, a large masonry mass, and long
and convoluted smoke channels that run through the masonry mass. Their fireboxes
are lined with firebrick, refractory concrete, or similar materials that can
handle temperatures of over 2,000o F (1,093o C).
Most are intended for burning wood, but
they were historically designed to burn almost any type of solid fuel. There are
also several companies that make units that use natural gas or propane. The
solid fuel (wood) burning types use a small, intense fire that is lit once or
twice a day, depending on heating requirements. For all types, as the hot
combustion gases from the fire pass through the network of smoke channels, the
masonry absorbs much of the heat, which then is radiated slowly and steadily
into the home over the next 12 to 20 hours.
Wood burning masonry heaters are much more
efficient and clean burning than conventional wood burning fireplaces. A
combustion efficiency of close to 90% is common (as opposed to 60% for a regular
woodstove and 10% for a regular fireplace.) The relatively small, but intense
fire also results in very little air pollution and very little creosote buildup
in the chimney. Because most of the heat from the fuel is transferred to the
masonry and slowly released into the room over the day, this type of heater does
not need to be loaded with fuel as often as other types of wood heating
appliances. In addition, if the masonry heater is built where sunlight can
directly shine on it in the winter, the heater will absorb the sun's heat and
release it slowly into the room.
Although masonry heaters are efficient and
clean burning, they have some disadvantages. Unlike conventional wood stoves and
fireplaces, they cannot provide heat quickly from a "cold start." They
are also relatively expensive. Some large designs may cost $5,000 or more. Plans
and kits are available, but they are not easy do-it-yourself projects and
require experience in working with masonry.
For more information on masonry heaters
contact the:
Masonry Heater Association of North
America (MHA)
RR 2 Box 33 M, Randolph, VT 05060
Phone: (802) 728-5896 Fax: (802) 728-6004
Email: bmarois@sovernet.com
World Wide Web: http://mha-net.org
The MHA provides information on masonry heaters, and will help you locate
sources of masonry heaters and installers in specific regions of the country.
Their website has a large amount of information on this subject.
The following books and articles provide
additional information on masonry heaters. This list was updated in April 1999.
Books
Finnish Fireplace Construction Manual
(With Core Kit Update), A. Barden, Maine Wood Heat Company, Inc., 1993.
Available from Maine Wood Heat Company, RFD 1, Box 640, Norridgewock, ME 04957;
Phone: (207) 696-5442; Fax: (207) 696-5856; Email: mwhcoinc@ctel.net $20.00 plus
shipping.
Finnish Fireplaces-Heart of the Home,
A. Barden and H. Hyytiainen, Finnish Building Center, Ltd., 1993. Available from
Maine Wood Heat Company (see above), 103 pp., $30.00.
The Book of Masonry Stoves, D.
Lyle, Brick House Publishing, Inc., 1984. Available from Real Goods Trading
Corporation, 555 Leslie St. Ukiah, CA 95482; Phone: (800) 762-7325 or (707)
542-2600; Fax (707) 528-3523; Email: realgood@realgoods.com ; World Wide Web: http://www.realgoods.com
. 192 pp., $24.95, Product No. 80219. Masonry fireplace kits and construction
guides are also available from the Real Goods Hearth Center.
Articles
"Building a Tiled Masonry
Heater," V. Popovac, Fine Homebuilding, (No. 71) pp. 50-54, January
1992.
"Gas Opens New Market: Masonry
Heaters Start Offering a Gas Switch," D. Johnston, Alternative Energy
Retailer, (16:5) pp. 1, 14-15, April 1996.
"A New Generation of
Fireplaces," J. Vivian, Mother Earth News, (No. 146) pp. 39-45, 84,
98, October/November 1994.
"Masonry-Heater Emissions and the
EPA," N. Senf, Fine Homebuilding, (No. 71) p. 54, January 1992.
"Masonry Stoves," M. Klein, et
al., Home Power, (No. 51) pp. 42-47, February/March 1996. This article
contains information on 10 different stoves available in the United States and
Canada.
"Prefab Masonry Fireplaces," G.
Menia, Journal of Light Construction, (11:12) p. 38, September 1993.
"Small House, Big Heater," A.
Barden, Fine Homebuilding, (No. 71) pp. 76-79, September 1992.
"A Stove in the Forest, Heating the
Russian Way" J. Chastain, Mother Earth News, (No. 164) pp. 57-62,
October/November 1997.
"The Siberian Fireplace," Mother
Earth News, (No. 84) pp. 134-35, November/December 1983.
EREC is operated by NCI Information
Systems, Inc. for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory/U.S. Department of
Energy. The statements contained herein are based on information known to EREC
at the time of printing. No recommendations or endorsement of any product or
service is implied if mentioned by EREC.
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Clearinghouse (EREC)
P.O. Box 3048 Merrifield, VA 22116
Voice: 1-800-DOE-EREC
E-mail: doe.erec@nciinc.com
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